Italy really puts the rail in Eurail. so that’s why I decided to take a ferry from Durres, Albania to Bari, Italy- so I could use my train pass. From Bari, I headed north to Rimini.
How did I end up in the relaxed seaside town of Rimini for 4 nights? Bit of background info, from Italy there is more or less three ways to get back to Amsterdam by train- through Germany (via Munich, Frankfurt) , through Switzerland (via Bern, back into Germany via Frankfurt) or through France (this is the longest route, via Paris and the high speed train). I tried to break up the travel days so I wasn’t spending longer than 8 hours in a train. I had been to the stops in Germany, so I actually wanted to go through Switzerland but then seeing those hotel prices in Bern, I decided- Germany it is!
I ended up in Rimini, because it was somewhere between Bari and northern Italy on the route back to Amsterdam, it had a beach, cute village area and reasonable hotel prices. Rimini it is!
I stayed at Hotel Calypso, which was relatively quiet, had a cute balcony and clean facilities. I originally booked 2 nights then I extended it 2 more.
You can walk from the station to the town or where all the tourist accommodation is.
eat.
The food in Rimini is not to my Italian standards. I had pasta at Del Kursaal. The owner was lovely and my pasta was barely pasta-ble, definitely not wow. The price on Google shows €, but I’d say it was €€.
I walked to Cuor di Cioccolato for gelato. It was also passable (I thought I needed to spell out my earlier pun), definitely not wow.
I went to Piada e Cassoni Ciana e Monda for one of this flat bread pannini things called piada and surprise, surprise- passable, definitely not wow. I also made a poor selection, which I still blame myself for. So please don’t bring it up if we ever meet.
I gave piada a second chance at Cà Miriam Piada e Cassoni – Piadineria and it was better, still not wow.
I ended up going to Conrad supermarket a bunch.
cheap.
The beach has sand, it’s shallow waters are kinda dirty with dead bugs floating around and tanker ships off in the distance, but I thought that’ll do donkey, that’ll do (in Shrek’s Scottishy accent, of course).
travel.
Walk around Borgo San Giuliano and you will be FLOORED. I don’t know what it is about coloured buildings, but they just hit right. It’s an old fishing village I think.
Ponte di Tiberio bridge is right next door.
I didn’t go into Domus del Chirurgo because it was paid admission.
day trip from Rimini to Bologna
Using up those train travel days!
eat.
I went to Bologna mostly for the food and it didn’t disappoint- pasta-tively amazing some may say.
I went to Ragu and it was anything but ew. I ate my €11.50 pasta and wine outside at one of their tables. I’m not gnocchi-ng around.
One of the best purchases of my life was €4.30 for the ice cream at Cremeria Cavour. Hot damn. It’s so posh you feel like you’re on a yacht eating it even though you’re sitting on a soiled park bench with pigeons shitting next to you. Amazing what unreal gelato can do.
Walking into Osteria del Sole, I felt like an uninvited guest bursting through the nondescript doors of a strangers home. Once inside it was chill. It says online you can bring your own food since they only serve bevvys. I had a small snack in my bag and awkwardly turned my body to hide the fact that I was eating it because I didn’t know if this online proclamation was true or not.
cheap.
The Piazza Maggiore is a goodie except the free water fountain by Fontana del Nettuno was caged off. Luckily, there was a working free water fountain close by at Fontana Vecchia. One of my favourite things is not getting the shits from random water fountains. Bliss.
travel.
There are some nice walks and views around Scalinata del Pincio.
You can enjoy the views from the Two Towers without having to get involved in any of that nasty ring business. You do have to book a time slot and pay for a ticket online though- they don’t sell tickets conveniently nearby. I booked online that morning and there were timeslots available after 45 minutes or so.
I paid €3 for the Biblioteca Comunale dell’Archiginnasio. You know me and libraries/bookstores (you really don’t), but it was worth every penny even if the woman had to pry the coins from my clenched fist. I’m so saucy today. You can actually pay by card.
What a time to be alive.
